Field
The present disclosure generally relates to the manufacture, fabrication, assembly, testing, and maintenance of large scale flexible structures. More specifically, the present disclosure generally relates to a system and method for controlling and maintaining the temperature of a large scale structure in an effort to minimize expansion and/or contraction of components, during operation of a Computer Aided Measuring System (CAMS).
Description of the Related Art
During the manufacture or fabrication of structures comprising metals, inconsistent temperature exposure negatively affects the location accuracies of close tolerance parts. Smaller assemblies (e.g., small scale structures) fabricated under adverse temperature conditions are commonly housed in temperature controlled rooms so that each part of the smaller assembly is maintained at or near the same temperature during fabrication. However, large scale structures (e.g., aircraft, bridges, and building components) are subjected to movement and/or distortion caused by temperature related environments where one or more parts of the extended, large scale structure are at different temperatures relative to each other. Based on material properties, such temperature variances can induce undesirable movement and/or warping of the large scale structure. The movement of the structure affects processes such as close tolerance measurements, alignment of critical locations, and build-up of tolerances in assembled components.
Various steps within aircraft manufacturing processes require precise measurements with tolerances less than 0.010 of an inch over scales of several feet. In order to obtain such accuracies, the surface and/or ambient air temperature of aircraft structures and/or their surroundings must be stable and uniform for the duration of these high precision manufacturing processes. Current manufacturing conditions utilize temperature controlled areas to ensure stable and uniform temperatures during the manufacturing process in order to allow the entire structure being manufactured to reach a stable temperature. However, large scale structures are not well suited for temperature controlled rooms. Furthermore, current manufacturing processes avoid activities that may change the temperature of the manufacturing structure or the ambient air surrounding the manufacturing structure.
Rather, aircraft manufacturing takes place in large hangars where multiple aircraft are being worked on simultaneously. Multiple factors, including the opening and closing of the hangar doors, weather changes, sunlight exposure, and/or other work underway within the hangar or on the aircraft structure, affect the temperature of the aircraft structure or parts of the aircraft structure. Furthermore, during aircraft manufacturing, the aircraft structure may have Computer Aided Measuring Systems (CAMS) processes being performed thereon. A structure or surface when measured by CAMS must remain at a constant temperature within a minimum amount of variance. Any heating or cooling of the aircraft structure and/or parts of the aircraft structure may invalidate the CAMS data as expansion or contraction may misalign critical locations. This adverse condition contributes to heating or cooling expansion of the structure while the measuring process is taking place.
Therefore, what is needed in the art is a CAMS temperature reporter for monitoring and controlling the temperature of large scale structures undergoing manufacture, fabrication, assembly, testing, maintenance, and/or measurement, such as an aircraft structure.